


Emergence

by BrightAsNight



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akakuro - Freeform, AkashixFem!Kuroko, AkashixFemKuroko, AkashixKuroko, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderbending, Humor, M/M, Romance, fem!Kuroko - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 11:38:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4261977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightAsNight/pseuds/BrightAsNight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To maintain the female to male population in society, a phenomenon of gender transformation happened. It was named Emegence, where 99% of the time only pre-teens underwent the process. And then there was 15 year old Kuroko Tetsuya, who woke up to Akashi, emerged.</p><p> </p><p>[Akashi x Fem!Kuroko, side pairing - AoKise]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Emerged

If there was a man among his team-mates who he'd call 'tardy', 'lazy', 'worthless', 'had a death wish hanging above his head', it was not Kuroko Tetsuya. Akashi Seijuuro knew at least that much. True, they had arrived two hours later than he expected at their training camp - which was one of the guest houses Akashi Sr. owned, but was rarely ever used due to...circumstances - but it hadn't passed midnight and there certainly was no reason for anyone to be tardy at all. Unless that person was Aomine Daiki. Or Murasakibara Atsushi. But they at least knew to be on time on the first day of their to-be-expected devious training session.

And when Daiki came stumbling upon them blabbering nonsense ("THERE'S A NAKED GIRL IN TETSU'S ROOM!"), Akashi was truly at a loss for words. He'd stepped right over Daiki's fallen body, frowning more and more as he walked one step closer to Tetsuya's assigned room, which situated right across his own. He hesitated a second by the already opened door, expecting the worst of the worst. An odd, damp smell hit his nose as soon as he stepped his foot into the fairly large bedroom, the frown marring his face deepening as he sighted a t-shirt thrown beside a foot of the bed. The blanket covering the body was halfway off, though Akashi's eyes remained on the unmistakable light blue hair strewn across the pillows.

Unmistakable and ridiculously long hair.

"A...Akashi-kun," a small, pale hand reached out to him, grasping the material of his shirt into a bunch in slender fingers. Half-lidded blue eyes were slightly bloodshot, cheeks dusted a similar red as...Tetsuya uttered his name between trembling lips. "Akashi-kun."

For the first time ever, Akashi Seijuuro's mind went blank.

XXX

Emergence.

To maintain the female to male population in society, a phenomenon of gender transformation happened, much like to clown fish; if - compared to the females - the number of men were few, women emerged to men, vice versa. It's called emergence. There were number of such cases that had been reported on media for the past couple of years. However, this happened when a child was very young. Emergence happening to teens were...unheard of.

Uncommon.

XXX

There was nothing about Tetsuya that could be called 'common', if the fact that he had his face shoved on a novel whenever he was free was set aside. But emerging to a girl at the age of 15 was just...something that Akashi never saw coming at him. Tetsuya was someone somewhat important to his team (he precisely avoided using the words 'to himself'). Tetsuya was their trump card. Their utmost valuable pleasure against another team. Seeing their opponents' faces morphing into countless emotions due to a certain phantom always gave Akashi something of a content feeling. Sure, they'd completely horrify at the other regulars including himself in the court, but...

With Tetsuya it was...different.

Now emerged as a girl - quite the sight to eyes if anyone could notice - Akashi could only allow what the doctor recommended; which was to keep Tetsuya admitted to the hospital till he...till she woke up. Ever since the morning she had called out his name and then proceeding to losing consciousness, she had not woken up for five days. Which made today the sixth. Of course, Akashi had resumed his intended practice session - Tetsuya there or not had mattered; he wasn't giving any other person a reason to slack off, but he had ordered at least one of them to visit their teammate every day, seeing it as their duty, although Tetsuya's parents were visiting her as well.

Akashi himself had not visited Kuroko though. Not yet. It's not that he didn't want to, it's just that he…didn't know how to react around her. Just like the first few days after meeting Tetsuya at their school's basketball court. That day….he had been frozen as hard as an ice block when she lost consciousness while Kise had frantically called for an ambulance and the remaining men had assisted. Except Daiki. He had protected his position as a sack of potatoes left in the ground to rot until after the ambulance left – and he had found not a single fly at home but himself.

Which was why, Akashi had started the day with only one goal in mind, and that was to visit Tetsuya. Which was why he currently was waiting for the elevator to halt on the ground floor. He had contemplated on buying something for her – a bunch of flowers ("Good morning, Tetsuya, congratulations on being a girl.") or something – but he was sure the man girl would kick him out of the hospital room if she had the strength – or guts – to do it.

"Akashi-kun?" A soft voice slightly startled him out of his train of thoughts, and his eyes rose up to meet eerily familiar blue orbs. The frown that marred his face disappeared as fast as it came, as he took in the petite woman a few feet away from him, an explicit image of Tetsuya; no, Tetsuya was the exact copied image as her mother, even before she emerged into a girl, minus the mid-length light blue hair.

"Kuroko-san?"

She lightly bowed her head, her hands clasped in front of her lap politely. Tetsuya, indeed. Then her eyes averted to the closed door to the room Tetsuya was admitted to with expectant and…with something that Akashi was more than familiar but had buried deep within his mind for the time being – for forever. "Tetcchan hasn't woken up yet," she said, her voice trembling ever so lightly, even it had been a week since this happened.

"I heard the process will take up to two weeks, Kuroko-san. I think we need not to worry till that time comes," he knew it was useless saying that to a mother who was losing sleep over her child but he did not know what else to say, as he had settled on that bunch of words and took it as his cue to enter Tetsuya's room.

The same damp smell which he couldn't put a name on invaded his senses. Tetsuya laid on the pure white bed wrapped around pure white sheets, looking as emotionless as ever. For some reason, he didn't like it. Tetsuya's eyes – which had been the single and sole source for Akashi to get hints about her emotions – and he didn't like it. At all. He didn't have any special bond with Tetsuya Kuroko; in fact, she was the person he spent the least amount of time with, given that she was always with Daiki. It was just the fact that he didn't like not being able to read people, even though he was not the best person at it.

No.

It's that he didn't like not being able to read Kuroko Tetsuya.

"Unsightly," he started, letting a tad bit of his anger seep into his words. "How long do you think you can skip practice, Tetsuya?"

No response.

And then…

The beeping of the heart monitor increased. A little bit. And he could now see the gentle rising and falling of her chest. Was he causing that? His eyes widened. A little bit.

"Wake up."

Her eyes fluttered.

A little bit.

"Wake up, Tetsuya."

Akashi gasped, literally, when Tetsuya sat on the bed in an instant of a second, her eyes wide and lips parted, breathing through them like she hadn't had a fresh whim of air in years. Her lips started moving then, forming soundless words, body trembling as her arms limply hanged, but fingers twitching furiously. Then it hit him.

Tetsuya was awake.

"Doctor."

XXX

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that it felt numb. And that there were arms around him as if they were holding her still. It wasn't the familiar smell of vanilla of her mother. Then she realized she was referring to herself as a girl.

A girl.

The slight weight of her chest. The itch on her back. The loss of a certain something between her legs.

She was gasping out, and the arms around her loosened and disappeared as if immediately.

Coffee. A tinge of sweetness and bitterness.

Then people in white coats and ties surrounded her, blocking her vision. A second of crimson slid past her. Numerous questions, one at a time filled her ears, and she found it to be a bother. She just wanted to…wanted to…sleep.

"Is it just me or does Kurokocchi looks cuter than before?"

"Oi, Kise! Stop babbling nonsense"

"Kise-chin is right tho. Kuro-chin looks smaller too."

"Midorimacchi, you meanie. Why can't I ever say something? Look, Aominecchi's been ogling at Kurokocchi since we came here and no one has cared at all-"

SMACK!

"Aominecchiiiii-"

"You all will cease this behavior at once."

The room went silent in a breath.

A twitch at her lips. She had woken up half an hour ago (after two days of more adjusting to a new life style), her parents taking three quarters of her life time before her friends barged in like there was no tomorrow. She hasn't spoken to any one of them yet, not even to her parents; she didn't trust her voice. She pulled her knees to her chest, something she oddly felt comfortable with, huddled up into a ball as much as she can, as if she could hide from the world.

Then she realized, she had been referring to herself as a girl since she woke up. No. she wasn't at the 'I'm not a girl, I'm still a boy. I'm gonna cut my hair shot and wear manly clothing for the rest of my life' stage but she most definitely wasn't at the 'I'm a girl now, I should wear pink frilly dresses and get married to a man and have children' stage either. It was most probably her 'We'll see' mode holding her back from flipping Japan over.

"Will I…. will I ever be able to play basketball?"

There were a lot of things she wanted to ask. But that was the first thing that left her mouth.

"Why wouldn't you be able to?" Aomine blinked.

SMACK!

"Are you stupid? She's having doubts because we are all men and she's…a girl."

"Oh."

"Tetsuya."

Her gaze landed on Akashi's.

"Your emergence turned you into a girl. You didn't lose a leg or an arm."

Her throat clogged up at the intensity in his eyes, smoldering into her whole body, making her spine stiff. ("But Tetsu lost something…. And gained…something else.") (Aominecchi, you pervert!") She watched Akashi's lips press into a thin line, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly.

"You will be able to play, but the fact that you emerged will make it difficult. If you're sure you can handle being around fifty or so hormonal men like Daiki (HEY!) constantly trying to take your spot on the first string, you will have no problem on continuing as a regular. I and coach both agree that you misdirection holds a certain value to our team."

Kuroko inhaled a lung full of hospital air, her brain slowly digesting what her captain said word by word. Then, "Yes, Akashi-kun."

And she felt a fraction of a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Kurokocchi, I will protect you from any imbecile-"

"The only imbecile she needs protection from is you, Kise."

She felt her lips widen a tad bit.

"Oh my god, look how cute she is!" Kuroko diverted her eyes to her lap, noticing the delighted-puppy-mode on Kise's face, scolding herself for the burning in her own cheeks. Must be girly hormones.

"Out. All of you. You're being a bother so we're leaving."

"Ehhhhh?"

"Ryouta."

"Moouuu."

She said nothing, letting Akashi handle the situation before she further embarrassed herself.

"If you wish to remain with us rather than going home tomorrow, you're welcome," Akashi's voice filled her ears, now alone in the room, she felt restricted, but strangely at ease. Maybe it was because she didn't have multiple presences around her although Akashi's eyes felt like a thousand something.

Red.

Red.

Was he the one beside her when she first woke up?

Two fingers had a hold on a strand of her long hair, trailing down the length. She froze, as a faint smell of coffee hit her nose. Then the touch was gone and so was the smell.

"You should not..." he stepped towards the door, his back at her, and when she almost thought he wasn't going to continue anyway, "cut your hair."


	2. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, I certainly didn't expect the short first chapter to get that much attention. Lots of kudos and positive comments, ohemgee! Thank you a zillion times, my precious readers. (*˘︶˘*)

"Ne, Tetsu," he gave away a moment, continuing to spin the basketball on his index finger. "I don't think you should care whether you're a girl or a boy," he looked at her, "In the end...you're still the Tetsu I know."

"You see that guy over there?" Someone whispered not so quietly, rudely pointing their finger at a young man sitting at a bench a few yards away. Kuroko glanced at him once, but quickly snapped her eyes back to Aomine who had gone off to god knows where to buy drinks for them, while they sat in a park bench.

"Heard his girlfriend was emerged."

"Are you telling me that he's having a relationship with a man?"

"Well, she's a woman now but…" They made a nervous laugh.

"No matter how you look at it, she was still a man before she emerged."

"Yeah, it's disgusting. It's practically being gay with a female body."

Kuroko was sure the guy could probably hear them. Or maybe they wanted him to hear what they were saying.

Emergance didn't happen by choice. Even if some things in your life gets messed up, emerging into another gender wasn't disgusting. What was so wrong about having a gay relationship anyway? It wasn't even 18th century and yet people were still basing relationships on how-do-you-make-babies category?

She felt a hand clasp hers, squeezing gently in comforting warmth. Kuroko had almost forgot that Momoi was there with her.

"It's not disgusting, Tetsu-chan," her lips curved into a soft smile.

"I know," she whispered, sending a squeeze back.

There was a small twitch at the corner of her lip.

"If you constantly think about what others think, you'll never be able to live your life the way you actually want to."

"Aomine-kun thinks rationally sometimes," she let out a short laugh.

"Dai-chan, are you sure you're not sick?" Momoi giggled beside her.

Momoi had come over yesterday, offering a hand to Kuroko in her mother's place as she had decided to stay with her teammates rather than going home for the summer vacation. She had filled Kuroko's head with all the stuff she partially didn't want to know about being a girl and had her going out to buy all the necessities including appropriate outfits and underwear. Kuroko did not remember a time she had warmed up like a bottle of ketchup in embarrassment in her whole life like when she was at the underwear store. But then again, she never thought Momoi would be this much understanding and complying over her situation. Specially when Momoi claimed to have feelings for Kuroko. She couldn't imagine - if what Momoi claimed was true (most probably) - how much pain she was in at the moment. Because Kuroko was a girl. The pain Kuroko had caused her... A lump formed at the base of her throat.

"Shut up, Satsuki," Aomine tossed the ball at her lightly, his face colouring up very faintly. "I was just...trying to help Tetsu."

"Why did you think I was thinking about that in the first place?" Kuroko asked, taking the ball from Momoi and aiming it to pass it to Aomine.

"Because your face was like an old woman's at her hubby's funeral," he laughed, the sound quickly turning to a howl of pain, "that really hurts, you know."

"It should," Kuroko deadpanned, her face scrunching up at him in irritation. Only Aomine would notice something like that on her face, even if what he guessed was a completely different reason. And sometimes she disliked it because she couldn't hide all of her emotions away. She knew she shouldn't run from problems, but she desperately wanted to; and something was keeping her from it. Something that she didn't know. Her friends were doping with her situation so well like she hadn't even been a boy two weeks ago, so why couldn't she do them a favour and made them at ease? Even Akashi was coping with her perfectly, although he was a person who adapted to situations rather quickly.

Akashi...

The day she emerged, Kuroko had woken up to him half naked, and her head started to swirl like it was the biggest problem she had at the moment. Still... Forcing the blood rush which was threatening to take over her cheeks, Kuroko caught the ball just before it hit her face.

"Let's have a one on one," Aomine grinned from ear to ear, an action that has always made Kuroko at ease.

"You know I can never win against you."

"Oh, come on," his pout was cringe worthy.

"Let's practice passes."

"Tetsu."

"Aomine-kun."

"You shouldn't push yourself too much, Tetsu-chan," Momoi stood up from the bench, her hands landing on her hips as a pose of sternty. "After all, you got out of the hospital yesterday. You still need to rest," there was a hint of barely contained sadness in her smile.

Kuroko's chest tightened. She hugged the ball in her hands as if putting a barrier between her and the world. Then her hand strayed away, linking with Momoi's. She noticed how similar they were; pale and slender and soft, and it undeniably screamed about who Kuroko was now. And then her own smile matched with Momoi's.

"Momoi-san," even to her, her voice sounded so disgustingly, utterly sincere and wholehearted. "I'm sorry," she didn't have to explain for Momoi to understand because she did. Cristal clearly.

Sorry that I hurt you.

Sorry to give you a pain that shouldn't be felt.

Sorry that I couldn't be the one you wanted.

"I know, Tetsu-chan," her smile widened, hurt seeping out more than Momoi wanted to. Kuroko felt like her stomach was sinking to her guts. "But look at the bright side. We're a little closer than we were before, neh?"

Kuroko couldn't utter a single word. She quietly nodded, her lips pressed onto a thin line, so no one would see her trembling lips.

"Oi, I wouldn't mind if you two started dating even now. Would be a sight for sore eyes, you know," an ignite pass to Aomine's face; checked.

"Pervy Dai-chan," Momoi scolded waving a finger at him, but the smile hiding in her voice didn't lie. If there was ever a moment Kuroko thanked Aomine for his bluntness, it was now.

XXX

For some reason, Akashi Seijuuro's mind was occupied. He was sure that Shintarou, who was sitting in front of him noticed his uneased aura even though he didn't comment on it. The shogi board in front of him granted his usual satisfaction of pulling threads in his brain but there was also...the thing that it didn't present him his usual getaway from reality this evening. Honestly, his shogi board has been the best companion over the last few years of his life but at the moment it was being quite the nuisance. It wasn't as if he should blame the game board for the delicate fingers that has been poking his mind for the past hour; but then again he couldn't blame Tetsuya for having those fingers either.

How ridiculous his thoughts sounded.

He let out a barely visible quiet sigh, pulling a piece forward on the wooden board.

It was weird. Odd. Queer?

There were quite a few questions that Akashi himself wanted to seek answers and didn't know how. That hair. Soft and silky and...just like he remembered how his mother's felt. Those fingers. Fragile, slender but swift and strong. Those eyes. Still lifeless since the day she woke up.

He couldn't read her. And his frustration held so little restraint after so much time of staring at her. He should have been disgusted. But he wasn't. Queer?

"Shintarou," he paused till he felt his acquaintance's eyes finally met him. "What does it feel like to care for someone?" It's been so long that he had forgotten how it had felt like someone mattered, without a purpose, because otherwise he could have said that cared for his teammates because he needed them to win - to a certain degree.

"And you're asking this of me because...?" he didn't need to look at Shintarou to know that he was pushing his glasses up, a bit upper than he always does because it was a sign that despite the question, he was thinking of an answer.

"The others are quite unreliable on subjects like that," he responded not giving anything away.

"I see."

What did he actually 'see'? That Akashi knew that on questions like that, Kuroko was much, much better at answering but for some reason he couldn't ask it from her? That he settled for Shintarou instead?

"I think it's...giving without expecting anything back," that sounded far too reserved, but Akashi didn't want to push it.

"There's...nothing to gain," he couldn't point an emotion out of his own voice.

"W-well," index finger pushing at glasses, "I think affection from the other is worth it. Though sometimes...you might end up with nothing at all."

Akashi didn't know if he never should have cared. Maybe that's why his father didn't shed a tear at his mother's funeral when he himself almost went into dehydration. Maybe that's why he couldn't get enough of his sole comfort when she had been alive. Was the memories worth it? He didn't know. It's been long since he'd forgotten that too. But he kept playing basketball. And the ball she gave him when he was young still sat in his closet, untouched.

He was displeased, yet all he could see was Tetsuya sitting in front of him, timid, quiet and distant last night and playing a somewhat handsome game. He never wanted to play shogi with someone other than Shintarou but he wanted to see how she was hanging on to her life, so rather than asking about it he wanted to watch her. And he wanted to do that again. But he could only so much stare when others were around. And the fact that he wanted to keep staring at Tetsuya didn't creep him out. Although Tetsuya may have noticed by now and thought that he was indeed a creep.

Finger tips rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We're done for the day," he decided for the other one too. It was still an hour till midnight. He usually didn't stop until ten minutes to twelve - which was all the time needed to get ready for bed - but he did not feel like to continue on another five minutes. Damn his urges.

"You should act on your...personal feelings soon, Akashi," he noticed that Shintarou was still lingering in the doorway to his room. "Before they start to interfere with your work."

Akashi's eyes widened the slightest bit. He normally would have flipped a table in his head of someone else ordered him, but right now, he was stunned. A tad. Of course Shintarou would figure it out. Who was he kidding?

"Shintarou."

"...yes?"

"10 extra laps tomorrow."

Akashi chuckled under his breath at the man whose jaw was almost fitting the floor.

"You're the devil's incarnate, Akashi."

"15."

"Oha Asa-sama," he muttered, rubbing his temples in irritation before leaving with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Akashi's smile slowly diminished, Shintarou leaving his door wide open granting him a full view of the door facing his room; Tetsuya's. She was probably asleep by now. Unless she still had her nose shoved in a novel. He never knew if they were enjoyable. He simply did not have time to spare on a novel let alone time for a vacation. He didn't need to think twice about how he was becoming more and more like his father and he didn't know of a way to avoid it, unless he disobeyed and acted on his own - which he wouldn't, couldn't.

He was absent minded when he made his way downstairs, lingering a fraction of a second at Tetsuya's door for whatever reason. He needed something to occupy his mind till the time for him to sleep comes. An extra hour of sleep would do nothing for him anyway. The house was engulfed in the darkness except for small lamps creating luminous lights in the hallways. It felt so eerily calm and for a second Akashi tried to suppress the memories rushed up into his brain like a tidal wave, overwhelming him, because he was alone at the moment and had no one around him to keep an exterior up. The light in the kitchen distracted him. Maybe someone forgot to turn it off but the chance was highly unlikely since they were in an Akashi household. His feet carried him unconsciously towards the light his hand slowly raising to turn the switch off on the wall when he spotted her.

Almost immediately. Because even he needed a second or two to randomly spot Tetsuya before.

"Tetsuya."

She jumped lightly, perhaps due to being so engrossed in whatever she was doing, but then the round cerulean orbs met his and she...relaxed. Sort of. Although her shoulders were stiff.

"I... I thought everyone went to bed."

His eyes dropped to her hands; one tightly wrapped in bandages, the other one...desperately trying to apply ointment on its own palm. She should have used ointment on both hands first before trying to wrap them up. Tetsuya could be dense...only sometimes though. He did notice how she wasn't using chopsticks at dinner but a spoon and the awkward way she held it, although he had not pursued her about it. He didn't expect her to tell him anything anyway, but to encounter her in the middle of the night attempting to treat her bruised hands was just...

"Were you trying to hide them?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing and lips turning down at the corners at her. She pressed the other hand into her bandaged one, her eyes casting down and away from him.

And a small "No," left her lips.

His frown deepened. "I don't like not knowing things, Tetsuya."

"Maybe there are things you shouldn't know, Akashi-kun," that deep, deep and soft voice. Heat pooled in the pitch of his stomach, twisting and turning his insides. And a sudden urge to trap her between his body and the counter just to see what shows on those blue eyes. He didn't realize he was right in front of her until his reached out hand touched hers, making her jolt up. A quiet gasp, and breathing getting out of control. A satisfied smile that he hid.

"I can still-"

"Let me," he fingered the messily spread medicine on her palm, his eyes raking over the bluish hue the skin was taking. It felt calloused, hard and too cold - the exact opposite feelings of when he first touched them. She had been practicing like she did every other day. The fact was, that her new body wasn't used to it. She would have to go through the same thing when she first figured out how different she was from everyone and how to use it to an advantage, but ten times harder. Because she was smaller, and more fragile. Something that Akashi would never say out loud because even though he was still an Akashi, he valued his life. He did not want to fall down a flight of stairs and break his neck because of an ignite passed basketball. His fingers trailed every line in her palm, every curve of the top of her fingers, applying needed amount of pressure on the flesh. His gaze lifted up to see her swiftly averting her own stare, and for a moment he was enthralled by how her visible pale skin colored up and how her breathing shattered again, like somehow his gaze was constricting the air around her.

More heat collecting in his abdomen.

The wrap up was quicker, bandages rolling around her palm and fingers, excluding the band aid he had wrapped around nail of her index finger because of a broken nail.

"Akashi-kun…" He hummed at her, ripping the stripe in half to tie a knot. "Akashi-kun is…weird," he looked at her only to see her finding great interest of the refrigerator.

"Define weird."

"This," she said, nudging his hands still holding hers.

"Am I not allowed to help a friend?"

"You always seem to be in thought too," her voice was gradually running lower. She should have used 'staring holes through her'.

"Even I have things to think about, Tetsuya," he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"And you have a hair fetish."

His breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened comically. He had…. a hair fetish?

"I was just kidding."

"Tetsuya," for some reason his voice was a tone higher than it should be.

"Calm down, I really was kidding," his eyes ran over her smile; so genuine, so humored, so…beautiful. "I didn't think you would take it seriously. Or is it that you actually have one?"

"Tetsuya," he grumbled. He actually grumbled.

She laughed. Half on the silent side, actually chiming in his ears. Then…silence.

"I wish you were always like this, Akashi-kun."

"With a weird hair fetish?"

"No," she snorted lightly, "Like….human." Something inside him broke. He silently watched her slide away from him, the soft smell of vanilla fading away with her. "Good night, Akashi-kun. I'm leaving tomorrow, so, thank you for having me here."

He nodded, speechless yet again. He looked human, she had said. He had forgotten to bring his infamous mask back on his face when he had seen her. Since when did that ever happen? He pushed away a nagging voice in the back of his mind. Not now. Not ever. His actions felt like he was bound to screw up sooner or later. He wanted to stop, he wanted to go back to the way he was two weeks ago.

But Tetsuya's eyes were alive that moment. And he strangely felt like losing himself might be worth it if he gets to see that look in her eyes again.


	3. Masks and Poker Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relationship talk with Kise. Not impossible, though, with Akashi it is.

"Kurokocchiii~"

"Are you fudging kidding me?"

"Is that..."

"Keep your lecherous eyes away from her!"

"Tetsu's wearing a sk-"

"Good morning," slipped through her gritted teeth, the tone of her words quietly promising violence to those who begged.

"Mornin', Kuro-chin," Kuroko cocked her head slightly at Murasakibara, who was an odd presence among the usual trio. She knew that Murasakibara always came at the last minute to school, unless they were closing in on a tournament. But they were not, for the time being.

She picked up the bag he was offering: it had been stuck to Aomine's face a second ago, who was still lying on the ground with Kise fussing over him. "You're early," she pointed out the obvious.

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "have some things to do."

She noticed how he was avoiding her eyes, more than an on average day. Was it because of her gender change? Or maybe he just felt awkward because he never talked to girls before? Honestly, she hadn't seen him talking to a girl, ever, but.... Kuroko eyed him in slight curiosity, falling into a step behind him as they crossed the grounds, leaving the other duo behind.

๑・v・๑

She sighed for the umpteenth time; was god against her? She could deal with people not noticing her but not remembering her as well? Not to the point that the homeroom teacher had to repeatedly check that she had been attending school since the start of the semester. Kuroko adjusted in her seat, tugging at the hem of her skirt which was a little too _short_ for her taste and the shirt that was a little too _tight_ for her to breathe.

“So," the teacher finally settled down, her hands clasped together on the table and eyes squarely fixed on her. "As you're already aware, your Emergence will change a few things at school for you. First of all, you will need a written letter by your parents that you will not change your name. If you do however, you will need to-"

“I won’t,” She bit the inside of her cheek, forcing her fingers to stay still on her lap. “I won’t change my name.”

Her name was the only thing she wouldn’t change for whatever reason, the only thing that will always remind her that she used to be a male; _a boy_. The teacher’s gaze was somewhat scrutinizing.

“We will give you a month to adjust to your…changes in environment as we usually do with other emerged students. The school’s infirmary will be happily of assistance to you whenever you’re in need,” though her bland tone told otherwise. “You will be allowed to continue all the clubs and extra-curricular activities you’ve registered for at the start of the semester-“ Kuroko’s ears slightly perked up. “And no, before you ask me, it excludes your involvement with the Basketball club.” The feeling of something heavy falling to the pit of your stomach.

“Can I-“

“No,” Shinohara-sensei sighed, fingertips rubbing the edge of her nose like she already predicted this would happen. “You cannot compete in the matches with your teammates like you did before, because you’re a girl,” might as well rub it on her face. “If you’re that desperate, you can join the girls’ basketball team.”

“But Teiko doesn’t have a girls’ basketball team.”

“Oh,” the rubbing was a bit harder now. “Then-“

“May I ask something?” The teacher’s eyes met hers again. “Were there anyone else in this school….like me?”

Silence dragged for a moment too long.

“He transferred.”

The tightness in Kuroko’s pit of stomach started to get uncomfortable. “What-“

“Shinohara-sensei?” two knocks, and a disturbance which Kuroko didn’t think she needed until she saw it was Akashi. “Kuroko is late for practice.”

“She is not allowed-“

“She is allowed for the time being to attend practices with us,” Kuroko noticed the finality of Akashi’s voice, which never let anyone argue back at him. “Until the headmaster comes to a decision. And you’re to meet him in his office as soon as possible, sensei.”

“I will,” Shinohara-sensei rose from her seat, never wasting a second to even say Kuroko was dismissed and tightly walked out of the room. Kuroko could almost hear the small huffs and puffs she had made while leaving past her.

“Was it necessary?” Left her mouth before she could stop.

She heard footsteps behind her, coming closer, and stopping.

“Tell me,” his voice was so, so close to her ear, warm breath fanning against her cheek, “Do you, or do you not, want to play Basketball?”

“I do,” Kuroko almost surprised herself by not breaking her words. “I want to play Basketball.”

“Good, then yes,” a hint of something. “It was necessary.”

It was when Kuroko heard Akashi leaving the room as well, she released a breath that she hadn’t realized she’s been holding.

๑・v・๑

She was the first in the training court, even though she ditched the morning practice intentionally; the first time in a long time. She had to use the never-set-foot-before girls’ locker room on the other side of the room despite having to deal with half-broken pipes and foul smelling air. The oversized t-shirts and baggy sweats were still useful albeit having a female body, and (no thanks to Momoi) she felt safe with the sports underwear she was wearing in a gym full of not so innocent boys. Kuroko was in no mood to cuddle, but for some reason she didn’t have the mood to push away the head resting against her knee either. It would be bothersome, or so she liked to think herself.

“What is it now?” She let out a small sigh, flicking the top of the said head.

“That hurts,” Kise whines, rubbing his head and faking a scowl at her.

“Kise-kun,” the _first_ warning.

“It’s nothing you should worry about,” his voice cracked, but then he smiled at her sheepishly, “Not that I’m complaining about Kurokochchi worrying about me.”

“Kise-kun,” the _second_ warning.

“I’m just wondering,” he worries his bottom lip. “What if I emerged too?”

The statement caught her so off-guard she almost wringed her neck trying to look at her teammate. “It’s not a choice, Kise-kun. It just…happens.”

“Did it…” He looked like he’s in pain. “Did it change anything other than the gender for you, Kurokochchi?”

“A lot,” she gave a nod to herself. “But nothing significantly bad,” at least nothing to the point she had to tell about. Kise pressed his face against her leg, looking like a little lost child and she caved in. “Is it a girl?”

A small snort. “I wish it was.” Then it was Aomine, she guessed.

She wasn’t dense enough to not notice the lingering gazes and small touches, the cheeky smiles and suggestive conversations and neither was Aomine, as much as she was certain he was ninety seven percent of the time an airhead. Her chest tightened. She didn’tunderstand much about feelings, but she could tell that whatever between Aomine and Kise should be settled and it should be without her meddling into it. Kise straightened up from the floor, looking up at Kuroko who was sitting on the bench. He had been the second to arrive, shortly after Kuroko. He had barged in the girls’ locker room with his shoe in hand, and had almost gotten a heart attack because of her. Not that she was pitying him, but sometimes her low presence was so inconvenient that she hoped to be normal.

"Do you know how to woo a man, Kurokochchi? I can teach you anything and everything about it. There are even special techniques.” His eyes glinted, and she could imagine blinking stars around his face.

“Why,” her eyebrow twitched, “do you think I need to know something like that?”

“Shouldn’t every girl know that? Unless you’re already hands in skirts with Momochchi?” Wiggling eyebrows and and a particularly painful pinch in the ear. “That hurts~. You’re always abusing me, Kurokochchi. What’s wrong with a little talk about romantic partners?”

“You’re just fifteen, Kise-kun."

“You sound fifty, Kurokochchi.” She almost prayed to gods. And then she softened. Just a bit.

“You know, no matter what, the person you will end up with will love you for who you are. You don’t need to change yourself because of him, Kise-kun. If he can’t be with you for who you are-even if you’re a little on the crazy side, then he doesn’t deserve you."

“That doesn’t include serial killers, yes?” Kise chuckled and then abruptly stopped, all humor fading away from his face. He ran a hand through his hair, silent for a second, and then the sheepish smile was back. “Why didn’t I fall for you, Kurokochchi?”

“Because I’m too short for you,” she admitted begrudgingly, with a small pout and watched with a slightly less heavy chest as Kise’s smile widened.

๑・v・๑

Other than some weird stares and some doting senpais, practice went surprisingly well. Nobody told Kuroko to slack off but nobody told her off when she missed a step or two either, and for that, she was content. By the end of training, with sweat drenched from head to toes, Kuroko let Akashi bandage her hands the same way like a few days before. Both were silent, one letting the other do the job, and the other completely ignoring the couple of stink eyes he was getting.

“I thought it was my job to treat the members injured, Akashi-kun,” Momoi was pouting, a small angry scowl on her face and hands placed on hips while Kise was making gross eyes at Kuroko’s hands for whatever reason.

“You were two minutes late,” was Akashi’s justifying answer as he turned to Momoi. She huffed, watching him stuff his bag with his towel and water bottle. Before he could order them around again, Momoi grabbed Kuroko and dashed to the girls’ locker room, slamming the door shut as loud as she could. Akashi did everything to not let out the sigh which threatened to slip out of him.

“Akashichchi." Akashi sighed. Well.

"Akashichchi?”

“Do not."

“Do you like Kurokochchi?” Kise's eyes were hopeful, which he didn’t like, at all.

“Of course, I like her."

“Come on, I meant like as in _like_ ,” he was even gesturing with his hands. Akashi cocked his head to the side, his gaze finally fixed on Kise. He heard the almost inaudible gulp.

“What makes you think that?”

Kise shrugged. "You should make your move, before it's too late."

Not because of Kise. But because of someone _else_.

“I’m leaving,” he hung the strap of his bag on his shoulder, eyes averted from Kise.

“I wish you would walk home with us, Akashichchi. You’re missing all the fun,” Kise shot a grin at him, which he could only feel as he had his back to him. He wanted to say ‘ _maybe I will_ ,’ but he knew it was pointless and Akashi didn’t waste his words on anything that’s pointless.

He managed his own pace, walking to the sweet shop 10 minutes away from the school, where his car was parked till he arrived. The driver whom he hadn’t bothered to learn the name of bowed to him, and he got in the car just like he did the day before. The ride home was always quiet, like dinner, like when he went to sleep. There was nothing worth noting in his everyday life.

Until a couple weeks ago. Until the day Kuroko woke up in his arms, emerged with that look in her eyes. That look. The helplessness; not vulnerability. The fragility; not weakness. That was the first and the last time he had felt time slow down for him. It reminded him of someone he used to know, and whom he could not recognize anymore. Kuroko made him feel strange and he didn’t even know if he should be angry or not. Seijuro Akashi believed he was righteous. Everything he did was right; every decision he made was right and every action he took was right. But with Kuoko, he didn’t know-when she looked at him, smiled at him, when she unhesitatingly gave him her hands at the gym, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to feel and it wasn’t comfortable being unable to control his own emotions. Being almost 16 was not an excuse.

“Seijuro,” he lifted his head, meeting his father’s eyes. “You were late coming home this evening,” not _I heard you were late_.

“Nothing worth mentioning, father,” was his automatic response.

“Do not let useless things take your time,” his father’s voice was calm and even, but the deep growl hidden undue was unmistakable. “You must have better things do if you have time to spare.”

“Yes, father,” and his appetite was gone. Like most of the evenings. Yet he still ate dinner; he didn’t want to _worry_ his father.

“Make time this weekend. A couple of my friends’ sons invited you a get-together this Saturday evening.”

“Yes, father.” Fake smiles and poker masks, which what it would be. _You look more human_ , she had said. He wondered, to his father what he must have looked like, as he excused from the table, with Seishiro Akashi’s mild attention on him.

๑・v・๑

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me is not dead. *rises from grave*


End file.
